Summary ANIMAL CORE The objective of the Animal Core is to provide investigators of the Program Project with scientific and technical support for the design and execution of their studies. The specific aims of this core are: 1. To induce diabetes in animals and maintain the animals in a healthy state (routinely monitored for compliance with standards of health appropriate for diabetic animals) and in carefully controlled levels of glycemic control, 2. To coordinate the acquisition and distribution of tissues and body fluids from experimental animals among Program Project investigators, 3. To provide assistance with scientific and execution of protocols involving special diet and pharmacological treatments in animals, and 4. To provide training for new investigators of the Program Project in the use of animal models of diabetes and its complications. Service to the Investigators of the Program Project will be provided by a team consisting of the director of our unit for animal studies (V. Monnier, MD, T. Kern, PhD), and a 60% FTE Research Assistant who will assume the day-to-day operation of the facility in collaboration with the staff of the Animal Resources Center at CWRU).